Roller bearing device for a washing machine, particularly for a linen washing machine

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a roller bearing device for a small linen washing machine. The device is constituted by a flat ring provided at its periphery with a plurality of rollers and interposed between the linen agitating wheel and a removable plate mounted at the tub bottom of the machine. Circular guiding grooves for the rollers are provided in the mutually confronting faces of the plate and the wheel, the latter thus resting upon the rollers during its rotation in the tub of the machine, so as to prevent friction between the said agitating wheel and the tub bottom.

United States Patent [191 [H] 3,72 'lrouilhet Milk larch l3, i973 [54] ROLLER BEARING DEVICE FOR A 3,406,543 10/1968 Trouilhel ..68/l32 WASHING MACHINE PARTICULARLY 3,509,744 5/l970 Trouilhet ..68/1 32 FOR A LINEN WASHING MACHINE Maurice Marie Achille Trouilhet, Lyon, France lnventor:

Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

Calor, Lyon, France Nov. 2, 1971 Foreign Application Priority Data Field of Search.....6 8/l32, 80, 86, 133, I38, l40

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/l8 6 6 Greer ..68/8O Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Assistant Examiner-Arthur 0. Henderson Attorney-Francis T. Carr et al.

[57] ABSTRACT The present invention relates to a roller bearing device for a small linen washing machine. The device is constituted by a flat ring provided at its periphery with a plurality of rollers and interposed between the linen agitating wheel and a removable plate mounted at the tub bottom of the machine. Circular guiding grooves for the rollers are provided in the mutually confronting faces of the plate and the wheel, the latter thus resting upon the rollers during its rotation in the tub of the machine, so as to prevent friction between the said agitating wheel and the tub bottom.

ROLLER BEARING DEVICE FOR A WASHING MACHINE, PARTICULARLY FOR A LINEN WASHING MACHINE This is an improvement to the invention described in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,406,543 granted on Oct. 22, 1968 to the applicant and it should be understood that the present invention has specifically to be considered in combination with said patent so that relevant parts thereof already disclosed in said patent will not again be described and shown herein.

In my U.S. Pat. No. 3,406,543 I have disclosed a small linenwashing machine comprising particularly a tub, in proximity to the bottom of which is driven in rotation at low speed a large-diameter turbine wheel occupying substantially the whole surface of the tub bottom and rotating in a substantially horizontal plane in order to agitate the water and linen contained in thev tub.

It has been observed that, notwithstanding the particularly simple design, the moderate cost and the very efficient washing ensured by such a machine, there is a drawback to its use.

Indeed, friction takes place at the bottom of the machine tub and it is important to prevent such friction resulting from contact between the wheel and the said bottom. Of course, shoes were interposed between the agitating wheel or turbine and the tub bottom, but it was observed that, in the long run, the said shoes were subjected to wear.

The present invention has precisely for its purpose to remove this drawback by using a roller bearing device interposed between the agitating wheel and the tub bottom so as to prevent friction between these two elements.

Such a device remains very simple, can be manufactured at a low cost and additionally improves the good operating characteristics of the machine.

More specifically, a roller bearing device according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a ring provided at its periphery with a plurality of rollers or the like and interposed between the tub bottom and the agitating wheel, the mutually confronting walls of the said wheel and the said bottom being in contact with the said rollers and provided respectively with circular rails ensuring the guiding of the said rollers during the rotation of the wheel at the bottom of the tub.

According to another feature of the present invention, the ring carrying the rollers is interposed between the said agitating wheel and a plate removably mounted at the tub bottom, the said plate being provided with a circular rail and forming with the said agitating wheel a rolling cage adapted to be readily removed from the tub bottom.

According to still another feature of the device according to the invention, the said plate, the ring with its associated roller and the agitating'wheel are assembled by means of a clip or the like mounted on the shaft of the said agitating wheel.

It should also be noted that, according to the present invention the roller-carrying ring is a flat member whose outer periphery is provided with supporting lugs on which the said rollers are mounted.

The latter may for instance be made through moulding from a suitable plastics and have a slightly conical rolling surface.

It is therefore seen that a device according to the present invention can be obtained quite easily and at a low cost, and considerably improves the operation of the machine by doing away with friction at the bottom of the washing tub.

It should also be noted that the possibility of readily removing the said rolling cage from the bottom of the machine resolves the cleaning problems.

Other advantages of the device according to the invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description made with reference to the appended drawings wherein FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of the tub bottom of a washing machine equipped with a device according to the present invention, and

FIG. 2 is a top view, partially broken away, of the bottom of the tub shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the said Figures, the reference digit 1 indicates generally the tub bottom of a linen washing machine such as described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,406,543.

As specified in the said patent, a line agitating turbine-wheel 2 provided with ribs 3 is adapted to be moved slowly in rotation through the medium of a shaft (not shown) driving a pinion 4 meshing with teeth 5 provided at the periphery of the agitating wheel 2. It should be noted that the shaft driving the pinion 4 is located in a compartment formed by the wall 6 of the machine tub and a wall 7 provided within the tub. It should also be pointed out that a device for progressively driving the pinion 4 and, therefore, the agitating wheel 2 may be provided. Such a device is not illustrated since it is not within the scope of the present invention.

According to the present invention, a ring 10 provided at its periphery with a plurality of rollers or the like 1 I is interposed between the agitating wheel 2 and the bottom of the tub I.

More specifically, the ring 10 is in the shape of a flat member (FIG. 2) made for instance from a suitable plastics and provided at its periphery with supporting lugs 12 adapted to receive rollers 11. This roller-carrying ring is preferably interposed between the agitating wheel 2 and a rolling plate 13 removably mounted at the bottom of the tub I.

As appears more clearly from FIG. 1, the rolling surfaces of the rollers 11 are slightly conical and rest upon circular guiding paths or rails provided respectively under the agitating wheel 2 and on the rolling plate 13. The circular rail of the agitating wheel 2 is shown at 14 whereas the circular guiding path or groove provided on the rolling plate 13 is shown at 15.

The agitating wheel 2 comprises a rotary shaft 16 (FIG. 1) penetrating into the rolling plate, so that the plate 13, the ring 10 with its rollers 11 and the agitating wheel 2 can be assembled to one another by means of a clip or the like 17 mounted in proximity to the end of the shaft 16 of the agitating wheel 2, the latter together with the plate 13 advantageously forming a rolling cage.

lt should be noted that the cleaning of the machine tub can be readily performed owing to the fact that the rolling cage just described can be very easily removed from the tub by pulling the wall 7 which carries with it the said rolling cage as well as the means for driving the agitating wheel 2.

The roller bearing device according to the invention is particularly simple in design, and the various members constituting constituting it may therefore be made from a suitably selected plastics. The agitating wheel 2 as well as the rolling plate 13 are also made from a suitable plastics such as, for instance, polypropylene.

The device just described operates as follows.

When the linen is placed in the machine tub, the drive motor of the pinion 4 is started and the agitating wheel 2 rotates without friction on the bottom 1 of the tub, since it rests upon the rollers 11 ensuring the rotation of the said wheel under ideal conditions.

Of course, the present invention is by no means limited to the form of embodiment described and illustrated, which has been given by way of example only. In particular, it comprises all the means constituting technical equivalents to the means described as well as their combinations, should the latter be carried out according to the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. In a washing machine, in particular a linen washing machine, comprising a tub, a wheel constituting a large-diameter turbine and extending over the greater part of the tub bottom, gear means for slowly driving the said wheel in rotation, and plate means removably fastened at the bottom of the tub and on which the said wheel is pivotally mounted, the improvements consisting in that the said machine further includes rolling means interposed between the said wheel and the said plate as well as circular guiding means provided in the wheel and the plate, and engaging the said rolling means during the rotation of the wheel in the tub.

2. Washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the said rolling means include a flat ring on the periphery of which are mounted rollers.

3. Washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the said circular guiding means are constituted by circular recesses formed in the mutually confronting faces of the said plate and the said wheel.

4. Washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the said rollers are respectively provided with a slightly conical rolling surface.

5. Washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the said wheel is provided with a shaft penetrating into the plate means and retained in the latter by a clip. 

1. In a washing machine, in particular a linen washing machine, comprising a tub, a wheel constituting a large-diameter turbine and extending over the greater part of the tub bottom, gear means for slowly driving the said wheel in rotation, and plate means removably fastened at the bottom of the tub and on which the said wheel is pivotally mounted, the improvements consisting in that the said machine further includes rolling means interposed between the said wheel and the said plate as well as circular guiding means provided in the wheel and the plate, and engaging the said rolling means during the rotation of the wheel in the tub.
 1. In a washing machine, in particular a linen washing machine, comprising a tub, a wheel constituting a large-diameter turbine and extending over the greater part of the tub bottom, gear means for slowly driving the said wheel in rotation, and plate means removably fastened at the bottom of the tub and on which the said wheel is pivotally mounted, the improvements consisting in that the said machine further includes rolling means interposed between the said wheel and the said plate as well as circular guiding means provided in the wheel and the plate, and engaging the said rolling means during the rotation of the wheel in the tub.
 2. Washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the said rolling means include a flat ring on the periphery of which are mounted rollers.
 3. Washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the said circular guiding means are constituted by circular recesses formed in the mutually confronting faces of the said plate and the said wheel.
 4. Washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the said rollers are respectively provided with a slightly conical rolling surface. 